HOUSTON — The final score of the Houston Texans’ Week 14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks did not justify the promise Davis Mills showcased on Sunday.
After replacing Tyrod Taylor as Houston’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season, Mills completed 67 percent of his passes for a career-high 331 yards and a touchdown, amidst the Texans’ 33-13 loss to Seattle at NRG Stadium.
Mills’ performance did not result in the Texans ending their losing skid, but the rookie quarterback from Stanford did win the respect of his peers from Seattle.
“I thought he did a nice job,” Seahawks coach Pete Caroll said during his post-game press conference. “He’s composed, he throws the ball really well, he’s an accurate thrower who is strong enough. This is what we saw on film. He looked like a good player, and he did it again. We didn’t
slow him down much early. But all in all, he got a bunch of yards late in the game, but I thought he did pretty well.”
Caroll said he understands the Texans’ decision to start Mills at quarterback after watching him put on a first-half clinic. Mills set a franchise record with 14 consecutive passes for a rookie quarterback to begin a game.
In addition to Caroll, Mills’ play against the Seahawks caught the eye of eight-time Pro-Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson.
During his post-game press conference, Wilson shared words of encouragement for the Texan rookie while wishing success. In the win against Houston, Wilson threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns
“Every day is a long journey,” Wilson said. “If you come in every day with the right approach and you come in every day with the right mentality, you love the game, you love the process more than the end
result.”
“I think that’s the best thing you can do to give yourself the best chance possible to be successful.”